Candidates Take Stance on Urban Issues

"John McCain's campaign has weighed in on fewer policy issues and with less detail than Obama, but the Republican platform does address one city directly: the District of Columbia. "Washington," it reads, "should be made a model city. Two major Republican initiatives—a first-time D.C. homebuyers credit and a landmark school choice initiative—have pointed the way toward a civic resurgence."

The statement's references to education policy and housing highlight two of the many issues affecting cities on which McCain and Obama part company – mostly in traditional ways the parties have tended to differ when it comes to cities."

"The Democratic platform vows to "reform bankruptcy laws to restore balance between lender and homeowner rights," to pass a Homebuyers Bill of Rights that includes new lending standards and to crack down on fraudulent lenders. The Democrats also commit themselves to implementing an Affordable Housing Trust Fund, restoring cuts to public housing operating subsidies and combating homelessness, especially among military veterans. Obama himself has proposed a mortgage interest tax credit to help people who don't itemize their income tax returns and therefore don't receive the existing mortgage interest tax deduction. He also wants to cap interest rates on payday loans at 36 percent."